Visualization: An Amazing Tool To Bring Down Your Times
What is the best technique I know to help bring down your times, create new belief in your own ability, overcome short-term or long-term recurring problems, intimidation, nerves, etc?
Regular, daily visualization.
Let me explain. Visualization is vividly imagining in your mind the absolute perfect swim you wish to do at your next meet, as if it is really happening right at that very moment. Just about every elite swimmer or athlete in the world uses this technique, because of its proven effectiveness - and you should use it too.
How does it work? Well, images, or pictures, are the language of your subconscious mind - and so the movies you run through your mind each day - especially about your swimming, are programming your body for your next swim performances in the pool.
But why does this technique work? Because it's something you have always been doing, naturally for many years - that is, running movies through your mind, as the subconscious turns all thoughts into images. The only problem is, most swimmers seem to run horror movies through their head instead of images of success! And you know what? It works! Whether you run negative 'horror movies', or positive success movies through your mind, either way it will have a huge impact upon how you will swim in your big races. So be careful what you think about from now on - it may well come true!
Every day for 5 minutes (or even if just for a few minutes) vividly
imagine in your mind the absolute perfect swim you wish to do at your
next meet, as if it is really happening right at that very moment.
This
literally programs your subconscious mind for success (much like a computer),
it's a form of self-hypnosis which is very safe, easy and it works brilliantly.
A crucial element - when you visualize a race in your mind, use all your senses - imagine seeing the swimmers, pool and surroundings in their respective colours, smell the chlorine of the pool, hear the sounds of people cheering you, and most of all - feel the joy of victory when you win the race or swim that fabulous time you desired.
If you do this every day for around 5 minutes, you will gradually notice
a shift in your confidence levels before races, and your times will begin
to steadily come down.
I don't have the space to tell you how this works,
except to say that this creates a mental program (or blueprint) in the
area of your mind that is the control-center of all of your body's movements.
Now the only trick to it is this - it's only the truly dedicated swimmers who will do this every day. This very quickly sorts out the serious swimmers from the ones who just wish they were better, but are not willing to do anything about it. Are you willing to try this for 5 minutes a day? If you do, you may well discover a whole range of extra benefits from it as well, which even go far beyond your swimming.
There are many important aspects to making visualization work, plus many
various ways it can be used to overcome problems and improve speed, rhythm
etc (I could probably write 100 pages on this topic alone, and have devoted
a huge chapter to visualization in my Ebook program and have also written
many articles on this subject).
But the main thing for now is that you
begin practicing and developing it each day, and eventually you can reach
the point where you can use it to: <
* overcome extreme nervousness
* reduce, delay or erase pain from your races and practice
* learn new technical skills far more easily and quickly eg. kicks/turns/dives/strokes
overcome and conquer intimidation, criticism and cheating from competitors
* dramatically increase your own inner self-belief
* increase your energy, enthusiasm and motivation
* relax easily and quickly
* increase speed / reduce times
* banish negativity, and sustain positivity
* learn to make contact with the sleeping giant inside you, your subconscious
* memorize information for exams etc
* and many, many other uses
So begin today - go and find a quiet place for 5 minutes and start your daily mental training routine. If you have any problem with this, contact me by email. Be patient and persistent, and the results will come - they always do.
"The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited".
The best of success,
Craig Townsend